What’s happening?
A local Redland Bay initiative is calling for urgent action to address severe parking congestion at the Weinam Creek Marina transfer terminal and surrounding foreshore.
The issue affects Southern Moreton Bay Islands residents, Redland Bay locals, commuters and visitors. Large volumes of long term vehicle parking are occurring across marina car parks, residential streets, shopping centres, verges and unsealed areas.
The presentation, developed by local operator Gavin Shepherd from Reddy Storage, outlines how largely unregulated and unenforced parking has transformed parts of the foreshore into what residents describe as an overcrowded dump.
Parking pressure has intensified as infrastructure struggles to meet current commuter demand, with marina car parks regularly operating at capacity.
Why it matters
The foreshore’s amenity and appearance have been heavily impacted, shifting the area away from a shared public space into what resembles an industrial parking zone.
Residents and visitors face reduced access to the marina and waterfront. Local businesses are also affected, with customer access becoming harder during peak periods.
Environmental impacts are compounding the issue, with oil runoff, verge damage and declining water quality placing pressure on Redland Bay’s sensitive coastal areas.
Local impact
Mainland residents struggle to find daily parking near their homes. SMBI residents face longer commute delays due to congestion around the terminal.
Overflow parking has spread into residential streets and commercial areas, reducing access for locals and shoppers. Traffic pressure has increased, while overall enjoyment of the foreshore has declined.
The presentation also highlights visual pollution, with crowded verge parking diminishing the natural character of the waterfront.
By the numbers
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Marina car parks are consistently at capacity, forcing overflow parking into nearby streets and commercial areas.
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Oil drips from long-term parked vehicles are accumulating, with contaminated runoff entering Redland Bay.
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Reddy Storage is located an eight-minute bus ride from the marina via route 282, offering immediate off-site capacity.
Zoom in
The presentation identifies enforcement gaps as a key problem. Monitoring of long-term parking is limited, despite existing local laws.
A lack of designated long-term parking alternatives has placed pressure on council resources and surrounding neighbourhoods.
Reddy Storage proposes an immediately available, privately funded parking alternative with sealed surfaces, 24-hour monitoring and secure access, preventing oil runoff and reducing street congestion.
Zoom out
Without intervention, parking congestion is expected to worsen as Bay Islands growth continues.
Mainland congestion discourages tourism, limits business access and undermines planned island growth. The issue cannot be solved by the government alone and requires cooperation between the state government, the council and private operators.
The proposal positions off-site parking and shuttle services as a way to support growth without major capital works.
What to look for next?
The initiative is seeking support from community members and elected representatives to progress next steps, including:
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Discussions around extending bus route 282 into the Redland Business Park.
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Trialling an integrated offsite parking and shuttle model.
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Coordinated public messaging to residents.
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A pilot rollout within months.
More details are outlined in the presentation prepared by Reddy Storage. The presentation was created at the author’s own cost and shared as an FYI.
The author has encouraged those interested to follow Reddy Storage on socials as the proposal progresses, stating that the goal is to make a meaningful difference for the local community, whether the approach is welcomed or not.
